The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies.
Radio frequency (RF) connector assemblies are used for numerous applications including military applications and automotive applications. For example, RF connector assemblies may be used with global positioning systems (GPS), antennas, radios, mobile phones, multimedia devices, and the like. The connector assemblies are typically coaxial cable connectors that are provided at the end of coaxial cables.
In order to standardize various types of connector assemblies, particularly the interfaces for such connector assemblies, certain industry standards have been established. One of these standards is referred to as FAKRA, which is an abbreviation for the German term Fachnormenausschuss Kraftfahrzeugindustrie. FAKRA is the Automotive Standards Committee in the German Institute for Standardization, representing international standardization interests in the automotive field. The FAKRA standard provides a system, based on keying and color coding, for proper connector attachment. Specific jack keys can only be connected to like plug keyways in FAKRA connectors. Secure positioning and locking of connector housings is facilitated by way of a FAKRA defined catch on the housing of a jack or first assembly and a cooperating latch on the housing of a plug or second assembly.
The connector assemblies include an outer contact that is received within a cavity of an outer housing during assembly of the connector assembly. An adapter referred to as a cavity insert may be used to retain the outer contact within the cavity of the outer housing. The cavity insert may allow the same outer contact to be compatible with various different outer housings, and vice-versa. The manufacture of the cavity inserts and the assembly of the connector assemblies with the cavity inserts has issues. For example, the cavity inserts may be molded on a plastic carrier strip that holds a multitude of cavity inserts. After the molding process, the cavity inserts on the plastic carrier strip are wound into a reel to package the cavity inserts for transporting. The outer contacts of the connector assemblies may also be formed on a carrier strip and reeled after formation, so both the reels of the outer contacts and the cavity inserts are un-reeled in order to load the cavity inserts on the corresponding outer contacts. Afterwards, the combination cavity inserts on outer contacts may be re-reeled on the plastic carrier strip for the next step in the assembly process or for shipment to a customer. Plastic carrier strips are not very durable, and the repeated reeling and un-reeling steps increases the chances of the plastic carrier strips breaking.
Another issue with cavity inserts is that typically the allowable dimensions of the cavity inserts are strictly limited in order for the cavity inserts to both surround the outer contacts and fit within the cavities of the outer housings. Depending on the diameters of the ends of the outer contacts, the cavity insert may not be able to fit over an end of the outer contact to slide into position surrounding a portion of the outer contact. Also, at least one of the ends of the outer contact may be fixed to the carrier strip of the outer contacts. The carrier strip may block the ability for the cavity insert to be loaded onto the outer contact from the end fixed to the carrier strip.
A need remains for a connector assembly that addresses the durability issue with the plastic carrier strip and the loading issue with fitting the cavity insert around the outer contact.